


Take Care

by aintitnifty



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Rakuzan Is Really Important, Sickfic, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 18:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2821994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aintitnifty/pseuds/aintitnifty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reo knows something is wrong as soon as Akashi stumbles on the court near the end of practice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take Care

**Author's Note:**

  * For [viascos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/viascos/gifts).



> This was written both for Akashi's birthday and as a Christmas present for my dearest [vickah](http://vickah.tumblr.com/), because sickfic is her favorite and Akashi is her beloved son.
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS BBY, I LOVE YOOOU!
> 
> Enjoy!

Reo knows something is wrong as soon as Akashi stumbles on the court near the end of practice. It’s just a quick misstep, barely noticeable to anyone not watching, but Reo already noted the pale hue of Akashi’s skin, the shadows beneath his eyes, the sheen of sweat on his forehead, and so—of course—he was watching. He must be the only one to see the stumble, because not a single other soul mentions it, and it’s over in a flash.

Akashi Seijuurou is a master of grace. His every movement is calculated and precise, even more so on the basketball court. Even the slightest stumble is worrisome.

And so Reo worries.

He watches his captain closely for the remainder of practice, but Akashi does not falter again; he is calm and poised to the point that Reo starts to wonder if he didn’t imagine the whole thing. The only other time Akashi shows any sign of wavering is when Nebuya claps a huge hand to Akashi’s shoulder at the end of practice, making the smaller boy stagger and scowl.

“Good practice today, captain,” Nebuya says with an unrepentant grin, and then he ruffles Akashi’s hair and strides away before Akashi can retaliate.

“Who wants to stop for ramen on the way home?” Hayama asks through a jaw-cracking yawn, lacing his fingers behind his head.

“Maybe tomorrow,” says Mayuzumi, slinging his bag and towel over his shoulder. “I have a paper to write tonight.”

“Aw, that’s no fun,” Hayama whines as they start walking together for the locker room.

Reo lingers in the gym as the rest of the team slowly clears away. He makes a point of straightening chairs, packing balls into their white mesh bags, smiling and waving politely to the coaches as they head for their offices. But the whole time he keeps an eye on Akashi, who has slumped into one of the chairs, a towel over his head, his elbows on his knees. He looks pale and small, and Reo decides it’s finally time to act.

“Sei-chan?” he says, quietly, because he doesn’t want to startle him. Akashi is sort of like a cat in that way; get too close too quickly, and you could get scratched.

Akashi’s shoulders lift and sag in a sigh, and he raises his head just far enough for Reo to see the glint of his eyes beneath the towel.

“I thought everyone had gone,” Akashi says. His voice is low and raspy, quiet in the vast, empty gymnasium.

“No such luck, I’m afraid,” Reo says with a smile, edging closer. From here he can see the slight tremor in Akashi’s hands, hanging limply between his knees, and the unhealthy sheen of sweat covering his arms and chest. His brow furrows; he didn’t think it was this bad. “How long have you been sick?”

“I’m not sick,” Akashi says, too quickly; it comes out petulant, and he hears it. Color blooms high on his cheeks.

“I beg to differ,” says Reo. “Come on.” He holds out a hand to Akashi, crooking his fingers. “Let’s get you home.”

Akashi scowls in the shadows of his towel. “I can manage just fine,” he says, and, bracing his hands on his knees, heaves himself to his feet.

He manages to stay upright for almost two seconds, chin held high, before he begins to sway, his eyes glazing over.

Luckily, Reo is ready. He takes a swift step forward and slides one arm around Akashi’s back, holding him steady. With the other he grabs Akashi’s arm and, stooping slightly so as not to discomfort the shorter boy, slings it across his shoulders.

“I’ve got you, Sei-chan,” Reo says. “To the locker room, let’s go.”

“I can manage,” Akashi mutters, but he lets Reo lead him along nonetheless. Reo can’t help but smile fondly, and he presses his hand gently to the back of Akashi’s be-toweled head.

“Wait.” Akashi pulls up short just before they get to the locker room door, and his hand on Reo’s shoulder curls into a fist, clutching Reo’s shirt.

“What’s wrong?” Reo asks.

“I can’t go in there yet,” Akashi says, his eyes fixed on the closed door. Reo can hear laughter and the sound of running showers from inside the locker room.

“Sei-chan, no one is going to think any less of you for having a fever,” Reo says, exasperated, but Akashi clenches his jaw and refuses to budge, so Reo sighs and helps him over to the closest row of chairs. “Fine. Stay put,” he says, lowering Akashi gently onto a seat. “I’ll be right back.”

The locker room door swings open to a burst of laughter as Nebuya wraps up some story or another, but the room goes quiet with startling alacrity when Reo enters, heading straight for Akashi’s locker.

“How’s the captain doing?” Hayama asks from his lazy, half-naked sprawl across one of the benches.

“I think he has a fever,” Reo says, swinging the locker open and fishing out first Akashi’s warm-up jacket and pants, then his backpack. The latter he almost drops, it’s so heavy.

“Do you need any help?” Mayuzumi asks, taking an aborted step forward, but Reo just smiles and heaves Akashi’s backpack over his shoulder.

“I’ll need to get him cleaned up at some point, and he doesn’t want to be seen sick, so if you could just…” He trails off, but Nebuya catches his eye and gives him a little nod.

“All right, you lazy asses, get moving!” Nebuya hollers, clapping his massive hands. Many of the first years (and even Hayama) jump at the sound, and everyone starts packing up as Nebuya continues to yell: “You can’t lollygag around here all day, I know you all have work to do and food to eat, let’s go! Out!”

Reo mouths a silent, “Thank you,” as he heads for the door into the gym, and Nebuya nods again.

“You take care of him, all right?” Nebuya says, and Reo smiles and slips out of the room.

“Here we are, Sei-chan,” he says, walking over to Akashi, who is slumped in the same position he was before. Reo drops the backpack with a dull _thud_ onto the floor, then carefully wraps Akashi’s warm-up jacket around Akashi’s shaking shoulders.

“You weren’t shaking before,” Reo says quietly, mostly to himself; he crouches down in front of Akashi and peers beneath the towel into his face. Bleary eyes meet his, and Reo slowly lifts a hand to press his knuckles and the back of his hand gently against Akashi’s forehead, and then his cheeks. “Fever,” he declares with a sigh, sitting back on his heels. “As I thought.”

“I just need to get home,” Akashi says weakly. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’re going to rinse all of this sweat off in the shower first, and hydrate. Here.” Reo reaches for Akashi’s gym bag, resting on a nearby chair, and pulls out the water bottle shoved into the side compartment. “Drink,” he says, pressing the bottle into Akashi’s hands.

Akashi’s face scrunches up. “You shouldn’t be giving me orders.”

“Someone has to.” Reo flicks a finger against the water bottle. “Now drink.”

Grudgingly, Akashi pops the bottle open and takes a sip, but his eyes—fever-bright and gleaming—never leave Reo, and his expression is slightly confused, as though he cannot understand why Reo is doing this. Reo smiles and rests a hand on Akashi’s toweled head, then gets to his feet, preparing to check the locker room again.

He hasn’t taken two steps before the door opens slightly and Nebuya pops his head out, flashing a thumbs up.

“Hey, Sei-chan,” Reo says over his shoulder, smiling as Nebuya disappears into the locker room once more. “Take a few more drinks for me, and then I’ll help you into the locker room for a shower, okay?”

There is silence behind him, and then a soft voice: “Are they…?”

“It’s just you and me,” Reo says, stepping back over to where Akashi is sitting. He leans down to take the water bottle from limp fingers, then slides an arm around Akashi’s back once more. “Ready?”

Akashi nods, and Reo helps him into the now-deserted locker room. Their breaths and shuffling steps echo against the lockers and tile, too loud in the strange, ringing silence, but Reo can feel some of the tension bleeding out of Akashi’s shoulders, so the eeriness is worth that, at least.

“Do you need any help in the shower?” Reo asks.

Akashi makes a face. “I think I can manage that on my own, at least.”

“If you insist,” Reo says smoothly. “But I’ll be right out here if you need me. Please don’t faint.”

Akashi shoves himself weakly out of Reo’s arms, and it takes everything Reo has not to chuckle. Akashi seems steady enough on his feet as he heads for the showers, but Reo follows close behind him, just in case. Akashi sneaks a glance at him over his shoulder, his brow furrowed, and then ducks into one of the shower stalls, tugging the curtain closed behind him (rather petulantly, Reo thinks, but he keeps that to himself).

Reo leans casually against the tiled wall just outside the stall, crossing his arms, letting his head fall back.

“Do you have someone coming to pick you up?” he calls over the low rush of water.

“Father always sends a car.”

Steam curls out of the shower stall, thickening the air, clinging to the dim fluorescent lights.

“And when you get home,” Reo says, his eyes following the steam. “Will someone else be there?”

“The butler, I’m sure. Probably the cook. Why?”

_Why?_ Reo huffs out a low, humorless laugh, lowering his head. Little puddles glisten at his feet on the locker room floor.

“Just wondering,” Reo says. “Will you be okay on your own?”

The water stops running with the squeak of a handle, and moments later the curtain opens, revealing a disgruntled Akashi, a towel wrapped around his waist, face flushed, water beading in his hair. One arm is full of his practice clothes; the other hand holds the towel in place.

“Of course I will,” Akashi says, stepping around Reo. “This isn’t exactly my first time being sick.”

“Even so,” Reo says, swiftly taking the clothes from Akashi and placing a steadying hand lightly on Akashi’s back, ignoring the way his captain automatically reaches after his clothes. “I don’t like that you’re going to be alone. If you want me to come over, you just have to ask.”

Akashi is quiet as Reo leads him back to the locker room proper, his face contemplative. Reo lets him think. He places a hand on Akashi’s shoulder and presses gently, urging him to sit on the low bench while Reo fishes clean clothes out of Akashi’s locker.

“I… appreciate the offer,” Akashi finally says, taking the t-shirt Reo offers him. “But I think I’m just going to go home and sleep, so your presence won’t be necessary.”

“Well.” Reo hands Akashi boxers and pants and turns away to give him a modicum of privacy. “The offer stands.”

Akashi hums, and Reo hears him shift as he starts to change.

A few seconds later, Reo hears a quiet “Okay” from behind him, and turns to see Akashi fully clad, the towel slung around his neck. He’s shivering again, his cheeks pink and shining.

“Jeez,” Reo says with a sigh, reaching into the pile of Akashi’s clothes for his warm-up jacket. He tucks the jacket around Akashi’s shoulders, then grabs the towel and ruffles it over Akashi’s still-damp hair. Akashi _tsk_ s in annoyance, but allows the touch, his shoulders hunched. Reo smiles as he sweeps the towel away.

“There,” he says. “That’s better.” He tosses the towel carelessly across the locker room in the direction of the hamper; it goes in, naturally. “Let’s get you home.”

They head back into the gymnasium to collect Akashi’s gym bag and backpack, both of which Reo swings over his shoulder, ignoring Akashi’s glare. Reo settles a hand lightly just above Akashi’s elbow as they walk together out of the gym and into the darkened halls. It’s late, and Rakuzan has closed down around them, the classrooms dark and locked, only one light in three illuminating the hallway.

There’s a dark sedan idling at the curb just beyond the front gate, and as soon as Akashi and Reo step outside, a suited man slides out of the front seat and walks around the car to stand stiffly near the back, one hand already on the door handle, ready to swing it open.

Akashi pauses, his eyes fixed on the car.

“I can make it from here.”

“I’m sure you can,” Reo says, and presses his hand against the small of Akashi’s back, urging him gently forward. Akashi heaves a sigh and lets himself be led.

“Young sir,” the suited man says when Akashi approaches, opening the back door with a respectful bow, and Akashi nods to him.

“Ryosuke.” Akashi turns to Reo, holding a hand out for his bags, but Reo slips past him and tosses both bags into the backseat.

“Sei-chan has a bit of a fever,” he tells the suited man, Ryosuke; Akashi makes a wordless noise of protest behind him, but Reo just stares down Ryosuke, his gaze intent. “Please take care of him.”

Ryosuke glances at Akashi, his brows drawing together. “I will.”

Akashi brushes past Reo and slides into the backseat of the car, his lips pressed tightly together. Reo smiles down at him, patting the top of the car.

“Feel better, Sei-chan. If you need anything, just call.” He starts to turn away, but a hand shoots out of the backseat and latches onto his sleeve, tugging him to a halt. Reo looks over his shoulder, blinking down at his flushed captain.

“… Thank you,” Akashi says, his voice barely audible.

Reo smiles again, and the expression is warmer, easy and affectionate.

“You’re welcome, captain,” he says, patting Akashi’s hand. “Get some rest.”

Akashi nods and releases Reo’s sleeve, and Ryosuke closes the door, hiding him from view.

“I’m serious,” Reo tells Ryosuke in a low voice. “Take care of him, please.”

“I always do,” Ryosuke says with a sad smile, and then he inclines his head and walks around the car, heading for the driver’s seat.

Reo watches the sedan pull away, turning back to the school only when the brake lights disappear around a corner. He pulls out his phone as he walks back to the building—his own gym bag and backpack were still in the locker room, and he was starting to shiver as sweat dried on the back of his neck—and starts composing answers to the concerned messages from the rest of the team.

Their captain will be fine.


End file.
